Rio: New Beginnings
by Cybroid
Summary: (Read Rio: A Changed Man first) Before, my life was turned upside down. I was changed, physically and mentally. I had no idea how. Now, someone will come from the shadows. Someone with answers. My name is William. And this is my story. (Rated T for minor violence)
1. Is This Death?

**Hello, it's me again. And Surprise! Sequel! You probably weren't expecting a sequel, considering the ending of the past story. Now, we shall begin :)**

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><p><em>The last I remembered was plummeting down from the sky, towards the dark blue water below. I then felt the cold water engulf me. Then, there was darkness. I thought I was dead. But then...I felt alive.<em>

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><p>I woke up under sheets of a bed. It felt warm and cozy. But it was not what I had expected. I quickly looked down at my hands and arms. <em>That's weird. <em>I lifted the blanket to see that I was wearing my pyjamas. _Even more weird. _When I plante my feet onto the ground ant tried to stand up, I was wonky at first. I eventually got the hang of it. I walked out of my room, still wobbly. I was so confused. Only moments before, my life was way different from this. It had been changed, but I believe it was for the better. I had learnt new things, and made a group of new friends. The memories of my new friends came past through my mind.

First, there was Rafael and his wife, Eva. Rafael was looked upon as someone you could depend on. He was always teaching something new and giving you a little push onto the right path. He also enjoyed a little partying, despite being old. Though he may be old, he's still young on the inside. And Eva, well, she was a bit of a screech. Literally. When she sang, you could swear that your head would explode. She was also very suspicious around new friends of her husband, always thinking he was off partying. But once on her good side, she would trust you, but not by much. And it is hard to get on her good side.

Next, there was Nico and Pedro. They were cool. Their idea of fun was samba. They liked singing and dancing so much, they owned a club. And I must say, it was one of the best I had ever seen.

Lastly, there was Blu and Jewel, along with their three kids, which I had forgotten their names. Blu was quite the nerd, and almost scared of everything. But when his friends and family were in danger, then you would see the other side of him. Let's just say that against him, brain triumphs over brawn. Jewel was the opposite. She was feisty and free willed. She was always ready for a fight, but once on her good side, you see her as a caring mother and loving wife.

It's funny how so much can change. Because before, I wasn't human. It all started when I went on a trip to Rio. At some point, something happened. Back then, I was human, but then, I was changed...into a bird. And all my friends, they were birds as well. Before I woke up here, I was falling towards the ocean from a plane. I thought I was dead.

The house was empty all the way through, except for me and the furniture. No one else around, which was very odd. Then something strange happened. The walls began to creak, and the floor shook. The furniture seemed to tremble, as did I. Making my way to the window, I saw why. A huge wave was approaching. And that wasn't all. The wave was coming from all sides. I rushed to the door, and pulled, but it stayed shut. I fumbled with the lock, but it did not unlock. I was trapped. Then, the wave hit. But my house wasn't smashed to bits. The walls held against the raging tide. I was safe. At least, that's what I thought. The windows suddenly few open, and the water rushed in. In seconds, I was under water. Then, my house started to float up. I thought I would go up with it, but I was pulled down. My chest felt as if it would burst. My side hurt. When I reached my hand out, I realized it was no longer a hand. I had been changed back into a bird. The wound from the plane appeared, and started to bleed. Above, a small light flickered. Slowly, it disappeared. _No._ I was engulfed in the dark, cold water. It was all over. But then, I heard a whisper.

"_William."_ The voice came from above. The light slowly appeared once more, and I felt myself being pulled towards it. As I went up, I could hear many other voices.

"_Come back to us."_

_"William."_

_"Come back." _

_"I love you."_ Only one name went through my mind as I heard the last voice. _Emma._ That was the last I remembered as the light covered me.

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><p><strong>It was a little short, but it's only an intro. I hope you enjoyed :)<strong>


	2. On The Edge Of Death

**Hello, readers and authors! The next chapter is here. Hope you enjoy :)**

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><p>The light was everywhere. I felt as if I was floating in the air. It was so bright, I had to force my eyes open. That's when I saw shapes take form. I could faintly hear the sound of water. I could feel something grainy on my back. I realized I was on my back. Standing over me, two figures were staring down at me. From time to time, they would shake me, and I would hear my name being called. It sounded so distant. Before I knew it, they disappeared, and I was lost in the light once more.<p>

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><p><strong>Rafael's POV<strong>

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><p>I shook William again, but he didn't respond.<p>

"William! Stay with us!" I shouted at him. Across from me, Jewel was putting pressure on his wound and Anita was looking over his condition. Blu had gone to get help. It was a long shot, but we had found him, laying on the beach. It looked like he had been dragged. But that didn't matter right now. Right now, we had to save him. His pulse was faint, but he was not breathing. "Come on!" I pushed down on his chest again and began compressing, but with no success. "What's taking Blu so long?!"

"He'll be here, Rafael" Jewel assured.

"I'm not letting him die! He saved my life, so I'm going to save his!" Sooner than expected, Blu came flying through the bushes. Behind him was his former owner, Linda with her husband and fellow bird doctor, as we called them, Tulio. Tulio rushed over to William and kneeled down next to him. After checking his pulse and breathing, his face turned grim.

"He's not breathing, and his pulse is faint. Linda! Get something to carry him with! We can still save him, but time is of the essence. We must hurry!" Linda disappeared, then came back with a small stretcher. Tulio carefully lifted William onto the stretcher and both Linda and Tulio carried him towards their jeep. We all followed closely.

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><p>Tulio had been speeding through traffic, catching every light and using every gap to get to the aviary. We arrived only a few minutes later. William's life signs had greatly decreased, but we weren't going to give up so easily. Tulio burst through the door, a small gurney and two other doctors waiting on the other side. Linda took us all to the waiting room as Tulio proceeded with the operation.<p>

"Will he be okay?" I asked Blu. Blu took some paper and a pencil and wrote the question for Linda. When she read it, you could see a tear form in her eye.

"I'm not so sure, Blu. I see that he means a lot to you. To all of you."

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><p>The wait felt like forever. Nico and Pedro had left to inform the others of William's condition. I was sitting with Lou, who was still struck by fear when Linda opened the door to some familiar birds. My wife, Eva rushed over to me, along with my children.<p>

"Is William alright? What happened?"

"Didn't Nico explain?"

"He was in a rush."

"William saved me on the plane, but at a cost. I think one of the smugglers shot him in his side. He pushed me aside and took the bullet. We found him on a beach nearby to where he would have landed. His condition is rapidly getting worse."

"Are they going to save him?"

"They aren't so sure." We all had grim looks. One of my children, Tipa, looked like he was crying. I went over to him as the rest of the kids went to talk to Blu and Jewel's kids. "Is something the matter, champ?" He looked up at me with tearful eyes.

"Will Uncle Will live?" It hurt me to see my child so upset. I knew how he felt. William had become a close friend to all of us. I knelt down to his level, prepared to tell him the truth.

"Tipa...I don't know. He's very close to death. He might not make it. But I promise you that the human doctors are doing everything in their power to try."

"Okay, papa." I stretched my wings open, welcoming him.

"Come here and give this papa a hug." Tipa didn't pause to think and fell into my chest, crying to the limit. I held him close, shedding a few tears of my own.

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><p>Half an hour passed until the door to the operating room opened. Tulio came in, wearing an operation uniform with a bit of blood on his gloves. We all thought the worst.<p>

"His condition in stable, for now. We managed to take the bullet out and stop the bleeding, but it may have been too late. We're tried all we can. Now, all we can do is let natural healing take it's hold, and hope for the best." This news hurt us all. But my mind was set on one thing now. My mind went back to what he said on the plane. The secret he had held in for so long.

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><p><em>"Wait!" William stopped just before the edge. "Remember what I was going to tell you?"<em>

_"You can tell me another time."_

_"No I can't!" His determination made me stop. "I need to tell you. The truth is, I'm...I'm..."_

_"Tell me later!" I grabbed his wing and started to run to the edge._

_"I'M A HUMAN!" Shock froze me to the spot. It couldn't be. William was...a human?_

_"What did you say?"_

_"I said I'm a human. That's why I can't fly! That's why my eyes are weird! That's why, when you found me, I freaked out! Do you understand now?" Surprisingly, I did._

_"I-I don't know what to say. I-" I was cut off by William diving at me and knocking me out of the plane. After, I heard a bang, then a scream of pain._

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><p>"Honey? Is everything alright?" My mind came back to reality so see Eva looking at me, worry in her eyes.<p>

"It's fine. I'm just thinking about William."

"Blu and Jewel told me how brave he was while there. They speak of him as if he is a hero. After what he did for you, I think he is."

"Yes, he is. And he paid for it." So many thoughts ran through my mind. Thoughts of what would have happened if he hadn't saved me. I felt like my mind was about to overload. "Excuse me. I need to clear my head a bit." I flew to the door, which was open and headed towards the forest.

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><p><strong>I am flying through this story right now. I'll probably have finished up to chapter 4 by the end of the day, if I didn't have chores. I hope you enjoyed :)<strong>


	3. Recovery Part 1

**Like I said before, speeding through. But I'm going to make this the last chapter today. I hope you enjoy, and I shall continue tomorrow :)**

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><p><strong>William's POV<strong>

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><p>The room I found myself in was white all around, a light hanging down from the ceiling. I could see some operating equipment on the benches at the sides and on trays close to me. I looked down at my wing, seeing a drip in it, and I was bandaged from top to bottom. That's when it hit me. I must have been at the aviary, and someone found me and saved me. I tried to get up, but a hand lightly held me down.<p>

"Don't try to move too much." The light created a silhouette, shadowing the man's face. But he didn't look like any doctor I knew. For some reason, I felt panic, as if this person was a threat to me. I struggled to get out from under his hand, squawking like crazy. "I'm sorry, but you've made me do this." He plunged a needle into my neck, and I immediately felt exhausted. I soon fell asleep, the lights fading.

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><p><strong>Tulio's POV<strong>

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><p>After sedating the patient, I walked out to tell Linda the news. I found her out in the waiting room, surrounded by sleeping birds. She was on the vege of falling asleep as well when she saw me come in.<p>

"How's he doing?"

"He's recovering at an extraordinary speed. I found him waking up, but he reacted strangely towards me, so I had to sedate him. How are they all handling it?"

"They're fine. Some of them are still upset, but none have left. He must be very important to them."

"Bonds of friendship are very strong between animals. That's how flocks and herds are formed, and remain strong. With trust and friendship." Linda gave a slow nod before falling asleep. I couldn't help but smile. The bond between all these birds was strong. And that bird they are all here for is lucky to have friends like these.

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><p>In the next few days, William's recovery was excellent. Soon than expected, he was well enough to be put into the recovery chamber. He was still too injured to walk properly, so he mostly rested in a fake tree he had picked and we brought the food to him. We also put a bowl of water and installed a bell so he could call for us, which he got used to using right away. I was sitting in the surveillance room when the bell dinged. I guessed what he wanted and got a bowl of berries, which he preferred. Once it was ready, I poured some vitamin juice over it. I walked in through the door and over to his tree. He was sitting there, waiting patiently.<p>

"Here you go. A bowl of blue berries. Enjoy." After the first one, he made a sour face and pushed the bowl away. "Is something wrong?" I asked, even though I knew exactly what was wrong. Just like Blu, he hated the taste of the vitamins. He eyed the berries, then back to me. "You need your vitamins to help you recover. You aren't to do it on your own with the injuries you suffered." He scowled at me, then slowly ate the berries, gagging as he did. "Good. I'll be back to check on you in an hour. And I don't want to find a single berry left in that bowl." He gave me a low squawk, as if he was groaning. "You'll thank me later."

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><p><strong>William's POV<strong>

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><p>I gulped down the last berry, making a gag after. <em>Hold it in <em>I thought. Once it was gone, I quickly washed my mouth with the water. The taste was soon gone, and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally, that horrid taste is gone. I swear, when I'm done here, I'm going to feed those berries to him. We'll see if he likes it or not. Then he'll know how I feel." I slowly walked to the entrance of the hollow, taking in the beautiful silence. "Aah. Nothing could ruin this perfect moment." But, of course, something always had to.

"William!" My head whirled around to the voice, but it was too late. A blur of blue made contact with me, and pain shot through my body. I then noticed who it was. One of my new friends, Lilian, was hugging me. "It's so good to see you alive!"

"L..L..Lil...hurt...ing...me" I wheezed. She released me in an instant, her face red.

"I-I'm s-sorry. I d-d-didn't mean to. So, so sorry."

"It's okay. Just be a bit more careful around me, okay."

"Got it. Also, Blu and Jewel are coming by as well. They're just getting something."

"What could they be getting?" My answer came when I saw Blu carrying my pack in his talons. "My pack! Thank you, Blu."

"No problem. I thought you might want it." Behind Blu was Jewel with their three children.

"Hey kids. Remember me?"

"How could we forget?" the boy answered.

"That's nice to know." I leaned in close to Blu. "What were their names again?"

"Bia, Carla and Tiago" he answered, pointing to each one.

"So kids, what have you been up to?"

"Not much" Carla answered, looking down at her Ipod.

"I've been playing with Rafael and Eva's kids" Tiago replied happily.

"I've been reading" Bia began. "And lately, I've been reading about eyes. And if I recall, I never saw eyes like yours. Your iris is unlike bird eyes, and the pupil is smaller than other birds. It must be some type of unrecorded, rare genetic-"

"Alright, that's enough dear. You three go play now." The three kids flew off in a hurry, playing tag. "Takes so much after her nerd bird of a father."

"Someone had to. Like father, like daughter."

"She also got her mother's looks, while Tiago got the fun side of his mother, along with some of his father's smarts. The prank part, anyway. And Carla got her mother's voice, and Blu's love for human technology. Each one takes after both of you, in their own way."

"Do you know how long you might be in here?" Jewel asked, changing the subject.

"Not sure. My guess is approximately...another month. Maybe two."

"That means you'll miss out on Carnival!" Lilian gasped.

"I guess I'll have to." Truthfully, I wasn't that fussed about going. But Blu had other ideas.

"I know! I'll ask Linda if she can take you to watch it."

"You don't need to. I'll just take some time from her."

"Don't worry. She'll be fine with that. Come on, kids! It's time to go!"

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><p><strong>Another chapter completed. See you all tomorrow :)<strong>


	4. Recovery Part 2

**I'm back, and with another chapter. I hope you all enjoy, and please review :)**

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><p>The next days were filled with disgusting vitamins and constant check-ups. But today was the beginning of Carnival. Linda had agreed to taking me, as did Tulio. They brought me to their house so they could get themselves ready. For them to get ready took longer than anyone else I ever knew.<p>

"Tulio, do you know where my eye shadow is?!" Linda yelled.

"Which one? You've got at least ten!"

"It's the blue one, and I only have four!"

"Have you tried the second draw?!" There was silence for a second, then the yelling started again.

"Thank you!" Next to me, Fernando was listening as well.

"They sure are noisy, aren't they?" I asked. He understood me, since I had the ability to talk to humans, which was an attribute from my past life. The one good thing was that I could when I wanted to, so not every person would freak out from a talking bird.

"Yep. You should see them on New Year's. Now that is crazy."

"I bet it is. So how have things been since our last meeting?"

"Fine. I've done a bit more research on your condition, but nothing that seems possible."

"You don't have to if you don't want to."

"But I do want to. If it helps you get back to your normal self, then I'll do it." There was a pause between us until Linda and Tulio came out. Tulio was wearing a dark blue tuxedo with a blue tie, and Linda wore a blue dress. I rolled my eyes, as did Fernando. "Mom, isn't that a bit too much for a parade?"

"It is a big parade, so I shall dress formally. and so will you." She tossed a suit to Fernando. He looked over it in confusion.

"I'm wearing this?" I couldn't contain my laughter, and went into an outburst of squawks.

"Don't you start laughing mister. You are getting dressed to." I stopped laughing immediately. Once I saw what was in her hand, I gulped in fear with a nervous smile.

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><p>My head lung low in shame. The streets were filled, so they had to put me in a carrier and walk through the streets. Tulio had arranged for the perfect viewing point which wasn't as crowded as other areas, so we could see the parade perfectly. We found the seats soon. When they opened the cage, I wanted to stay in, since I had a blue bow tie around my neck.<p>

"Come on, Will. You look great." Seeing there was no other way, I came out, my head still hanging down to avoid my face being seen.

"No need to be embarrassed, little gut" Tulio assured. "You look irresistible."

"How about I put this on you? Then we'll see who looks _'_irresistible'" I growled, scowling at him. He must have seen my scowl, because he looked a bit unnerved by me. _I'm starting to think that staying at the aviary would be better than this. _

"Fernando, can you stay with Will?" Linda asked. "We need to go somewhere."

"Okay. Just hurry back. I don't want you to miss out on the parade."

"Don't worry about that. We'll be able to see the parade." They left, leaving me with Fernando.

"Anything you want to talk about?" I shook my head. "Me neither." Looking up, I caught a glimpse of Rafael with Nico and Pedro. Hoping they didn't see me, I retreated into the carrier and hid from sight. "William?" I believed I was safe. That was until I heard them land just outside the cage.

"William, we can see you." I stayed silent. "Come out, William. Are you scared or something?"

"Yes. I look terrible."

"I've seen you before. I'm sure you don't."

"But this is different."

"How is it different from any other time?"

"I can't tell you." I heard Rafael sigh in annoyance.

"This is stupid. You either come out, or we're coming in."

"Fine! I'm coming out." I slowly walked out, my wings dragging behind me. As soon as they saw me, their expressions changed.

"I told you that you look fine" Rafael said, though I noticed he was trying not to laugh, as were Nico and Pedro.

"Let it out. You know you want to." They all burst out laughing. They were laughing so hard, they couldn't stand. I could only frown at them as they made fools of themselves. "That's right. Laugh it up."

"T-that's so f-funny!"

"Ha-ha-ha! I..can't...believe it! You..look...hilarious!"

"Are you three done?" They finished up their laughing, wiping tears from their faces.

"Y-y-yeah. We're done."

"Good, because the parade is about to begin." Our attention turned to the first float as it passed by us. "And now Linda and Tulio are missing out. By the way, where's Blu and Jewel? They said they would be here."

"They are here. Look!" Rafael pointed down to the second float. It was a large Spix macaw with a large flower on it's head. The flower began to open, and the blue macaw family flew out, with Tulio and Linda dancing below them. The crowd cheered them on. I was amazed, as was Fernando. "They are raising money for the sanctuary and awareness about the blue macaws. Pretty good, don't you think?"

"Yes. It's absolutely awesome!"

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><p><strong>This chapter was a bit short, since I had some jobs to do. But I promised to myself that I would release a chapter today, and I did. Hope you enjoyed and see you all next chapter :)<strong>


	5. Saying Goodbye

**Another chapter for you readers out there. Enjoy :)**

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><p>The night before was full of activity. We stayed another few hours before returning home. On the way back, Fernando told me he wanted to show me something at midnight. As soon as we arrived, I was put in a small cage they had prepared for me, since I was staying at their house now. I watched the clock the whole time. Every time when either Linda or Tulio passed, I would pretend to be asleep. It made me think I was a child again, pretending to sleep so I could read using my little light without them knowing. How I missed that life. The clock struck midnight, and I saw Fernando coming down the hall right after. He opened the cage and laid his hand out, allowing me to climb up onto his shoulder.<p>

"Are you ready?"

"Since when am I not. Lead on." Fernando sneaked down the dark hallway towards his room. He had turned his desk lamp on to let some light in his room. On his bed, something caught my eye. Something I would easily remember. "My phone! You had it here, all this time?"

"Yep. But that's not what I wanted to show you. It's what's on the phone." He put me down on the bed and pushed the phone towards me. I turned it on and entered the password. At the top, the voice message icon appeared. Next to it was the number four, indicating four messages. Fernando held out a pair of earphones. "I haven't listened to them, so I don't know who it's from." Putting the ear phones in my ears, I pressed the button to listen to the first one.

"Message recorded: 4 weeks ago."

"William, it's Emma. I'm just calling to check up on you. It's past your due date to come home. I'm waiting. Bye." I heard the tone before the next message.

"Next message recorded: 3 weeks and 4 days ago."

"William, I'm starting to get worried. Can you please answer? Don't keep me waiting."

"Next message recorded: 1 week and 2 days ago."

"Dammit William! Why won't you pick up your damn phone!" Emma cried. "They're saying you're dead, but I won't believe it!" I could hear her sniffing and crying. It hurt my heart to hear it. "Please, come back home, safe. I'm waiting at the same hotel you stayed at. I can't stand being without you." I felt tears steaming down my face.

"Next message recorded: 7 hours ago."

"I'm sorry about my outburst before. I was just so upset by the news the police delivered me. They said you're dead. Please come back and prove them wrong. I'm leaving tomorrow at 11 am, and I'm not coming back. If you don't come, then I'm believing them. I'm going to the airport at 8 am. That gives you 3 hours to come. Please come. I'm missing you so much." The tone came, and I felt as if my heart had been shattered into oblivion. I choked back cries.

"No. No, no no, no! This can't be." I cried, collapsing onto my knees.

"What is it?"

"I-it's nothing."

"It is something. But if that's all, then I'll just-"

"Actually, there is something you could do for me. I want you to get a certain friend of mine. Bring him over in the morning."

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><p>I started my day early, as did Fernando. We both woke up before his parents did. He went to get my friend, and returned 20 minutes earlier with Rafael on his shoulder.<p>

"Thanks kid."

"No problem. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, and remember. Stall them as long as possible." I turned to face Rafael, who had a look of surprise on his face.

"So you were telling the truth."

"Of course I was. Why would I lie?"

"I just thought-never mind. Why did you want me here?"

"I need your help with something."

"Ask away."

"I need to get to the airport." I explained to him about my fiance and the messages last night. He was confused, but understood by the end.

"So you want to say goodbye to her before she leaves?"

"In a way. Can you help me?"

"Of course. When do you want to go?"

"Now."

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><p>The airport had lots of security, so it would be a bit hard to get in. But I had a plan. Rafael placed me onto the roof and landed beside me. Ahead of us was a vent.<p>

"What now?" Rafael asked.

"We go in. I'll go first."

"No, I'll go first. You're injured, and we don't know how far that goes down." Rafael dived in, and a couple of seconds later, I heard a thump.

"You okay, Ralfi?"

"Yeah. You can come down now, and I'll catch you. Slide down." I jumped down, using my wings to slow me down. I landed hard onto Rafael, and we both grunted.

"Ouch. That hurt."

"You're telling me." Ahead, the vent continued down before going right. "Let's go. We don't have much time." We later arrived at where I wanted to be. Across from the vent we were seeing from, we saw Emma sitting, waiting.

"That's her?"

"Yes. Now, you don't have to do the next part."

"I'll be fine. Just do what you need to do." Rafael backtracked through the vents. I waited for the signal. Once I heard the yelling, I opened the vent and darted out to hide under a nearby chair. I looked over at the entrance, where Rafael was flying around, distracting the security. I looked over at Emma's chair to see she was gone. This made it the perfect time. I ran over to her bag, then opened my pack. I reached in and gripped what I needed.

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><p><strong>Rafael's POV<strong>

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><p>After dodging the guards, I flew into the vent I came from. I met with William, and we got back to the roof.<p>

"Did you do what you needed to get done?"

"Yes. Let's go now."

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><p><strong>I did have a bit more to do for this chapter, but I didn't have much time. I won't be able to right anymore chapters for a few days since I am travelling to visit some family. I'll see you all after :)<strong>


	6. Dreams

**I have returned from my trip, which went longer than I thought, so sorry for the wait. So in my spare time on the trip, I have completed two more chapters, which will be released today, the next one a couple of hours after this one, and a third later today. Read on and enjoy :)**

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><p>After I had returned from the airport, I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from me. It made me feel glad, but also sad, since lifting the weight also meant letting go of the one I loved. I didn't know what to feel or to think. I was confused, lost in my feelings. I was the same throughout the day. When offered food or water, or pushed it away. I felt alone, with no one to comfort me. The world seemed to get darker. At night, I fell into a deep sleep earlier than normal.<p>

My dream began in darkness. The abyss slowly lit up, shapes taking form. The area around me soon became a dimmed room, a single light shining above. My head looked around, but I was not controlling it. It was as if I was watching through another's eyes. To my right, a double door opened. Light burst in, creating a silhouette of the two men entering. Through the light, I could see one was wearing what seemed to be a lab coat and a pair of glasses. The second man wore a suit, and had a pair of shades. They both took positions on either side of the table, staring down at me

"How is this subject doing?" the second man asked.

"He is reacting very well to the changes. All is perfect" the first man explained, but with a hint of denial.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"Well, like I said, the changes are perfect. But not complete. Look at his eyes." The first man held a small light to my eyes. I tried to blink, but my body didn't react.

"They're almost...human. Is it a side effect?"

"Yes, but we can change it. All I need is more time-"

"You've had enough time. This one is just another failure." The second man headed for the door before the first man called him back.

"Wait! What will you have me do?"

"Take him back to his cell" the seond man ordered before heading through the doors.

"As you wish." The first man looked down at me, then raised a hand with a syringe. "Now, you'll only feel a pinch. Then, you will go to sleep. And when you wake up, you'll be back in your cage." He moved the needle towards me, and I tried to squirm. but my body still resisted my thoughts, holding still. Once the needle made contact, I felt the need to scream in pain. The pain was enough to wake me.

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><p>It seemed that I had cried out in reality as well, since Tulio was studying through the cage bars with a startled look. I glimpsed past him to see the early light of the sun shining through the windows.<p>

"What was all that about?" I shrugged back at Tulio, who just sighed and left for the kitchen. "Guess it was just a bad dream." He came back with the bag of bird seed and tipped some into the cup inside the cage door. "Here's breakfast. Eat up." I looked at the bird seed, then back at Tulio with a disgusted look. "You have to eat up. It has the needed vitamins for your healing. You keep on eating, you'll be out in no time." After gulping some seeds down, I opened the cage and walked out onto the table. I looked into the kitchen and saw Linda and Tulio discussing something. Feeling curious, I crept to the corner and listened in on their conversation.

"Are you sure you aren't overreacting?" Linda asked Tulio.

"I'm sure of it. The progress of his healing, and his eyes. We may have discovered a new species!"

"I'm not so sure. Taking a leap like that...what if you're wrong?"

"Well, there's something unusual about him. If he isn't a new species, than he must have some very, very rare defects. That's still a worthy discovery."

"What do you think we should do then?"

"Once he's healed, we can take him to the aviary for further study." Further study? No thank you. I'm fine with leaving straight after.

"Don't you think he'll not agree with that? Maybe we should ask him about it." Yeah. Ever heard of discussing things with others first.

"But he's a bird. He can't even talk."

"Can't even tal- I'll show you" I growled. Stepping out from around the corner, I was about to speak, but Fernando came in time to stop me.

"Hey William. What are you doing out?" he asked, even though he knew, because he had also been listneing, and probably guessed what I was about to do. "Let's put you back in your cage." He picked me up and carried me towards the cage.

"Thanks" I whispered.

"No problem. Be careful next time, okay?"

"Got it" I replied. We both gave each other a wink before he left me in the cage.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed. See you next chapter :)<strong>


	7. Release

**Four Weeks Later...**

* * *

><p>The time had finally come. I had recovered enough to be released back into the wild, and after some convincing from Linda and Fernando, I wasn't going to be studied. Just outside, everyone was waiting for me.<p>

"Hey, Will!" Rafael greeted.

"It's great to see all you guys again!"

"You only saw us a week ago" Blu said.

"I know, but it's great to see everyone here." That's when I noticed one of them was missing. "Where's Bou?"

"At home. He didn't feel like coming" Lou answered. Lou was a light grey kite, and had a twin brother named Bou. I met them in the first week after my change, when Nico and Pedro were giving a tour around Rio.

"Probably didn't want to see William, or otherwise his 'guilt' would make him feel terrible" Nico muttered.

"I know he can be a too much too handle, but he's still my brother."

"We know, girl, and we still respect that, but he's got to learn to be more...respectable to others."

"Yeah. And he also needs to be social, because he never gets along well with new friends. That's why hardly anyone knows him."

"Wow. I never knew that" I piped in. Seeing this conversation wasn't going well, I changed the subject. "So, what are we doing first?"

"We're going to party!"

"Sorry, Pedro, but I'm still a bit sore. I just recovered."

"Awww" Pedro groaned. "That sucks."

"Cheer up. I'm pretty sure there's other stuff we can do." I tapped a feather on my beak, as did the others. "How about we go to the beach? Or maybe to Rafael's?"

"You might not want to do that. It's crowded as it is."

"I have an idea!" All attention turned to Blu, who suddenly became nervous.

"Well? Get on with it."

"Well...w-what about you all c-come to our home?" he suggested.

"Isn't your home a small wooden bird house?"

"Not that home. I meant our permanent home. That's just our holiday home."

"Ohhh. That home." Everyone was agreeing with Blu until I piped in, not knowing what they meant.

"May I ask where this home of yours is?"

"In the Amazon." A strike of fear struck my heart. Memories of facts I had read and nature shows that showed the aggressive side of the large forest.

"T-t-the A-Amazon?" I stuttered. "You m-mean the home a v-variety of man-eating predators, giant snakes, deadly diseases and venomous creatures, and probably the deadliest place on the face of the Earth?"

"When you put it like that..." Blu started, but stopped when he saw Jewel's sharp glare. "But it's not that bad. Once you look past all that, you'll see the beauty of it. Our home is in a safe part of the Amazon."

"Ha! Nowhere is safe there. In the Amazon, death is around every tree and bush."

"Nice way to put it, but it isn't all true. It's still our home. And you don't have to come" Jewel said.

"Really?"

"Yep. You can just stay here with that bird doctor. Oh, and there is also the stray cats, and the smugglers and the busy streets...that sounds like a dangerous place for a flightless bird. Don't you agree, dear?"

"Oh yes. Very dangerous. And you'll be all alone."

"When you say that...I guess a few days won't hurt." Everyone else cheered, glad of my choice.

"You won't regret it. And to make it fair, we'll wait a couple of days before leaving. Until then, we will all be getting ready."

"I guess that works out. See you all later!" Nico yelled as he left.

"It'll be poppin!"

"Okay. See you all later" I mumbled as everyone left. "I guess I'll just sleep at the aviary tonight." I started to walk back to the aviary, but stopped at the sound of someone behind me.

"Sorry, Will. Almost forgot." Rafael wrapped his talons around my shoulders and lifted me into the air, carrying me to his home.

* * *

><p>Like always, the house of Rafael was in chaos. His kids flying around, messing up the nests and pulling at each others feathers, with Eva in the middle, trying to stop the madness. Only one of the kids came to welcome me.<p>

"Hey, Uncle Will."

"Hello, Tipa. It's been a while." We slapped our wings together and shook talons, a little greeting he made up for us.

"How are you feeling?"

"Never better, minus the ache in my bones and where I was hit. I've even got a nasty scar there now." As soon as I mentioned it, all the kids came running over to me.

"Let me see!" one yelled.

"I wanna touch it!"

"I bet it looks awesome!"

"Fine, but only one look. And no touching." I heard a groan from the group of chicks. I moved my feathers apart, revealing the scar where I had been hit. It had healed during my recovery, so it only looked like a small bump running across.

"Cool" they chorused.

"Yes, it is. Now please keep to yourselves. I'm still a bit sore." All the kids flew away. All but one. One of the younger ones hopped up in front of me and stretched it's wings up and began bouncing up and down. "What is it you want?"

"Hugs! Hugs!" the chick pleaded. I couldn't resist the child's sweetness, so I complied. I held the child up high and hugged him close. If only I paid attention, because straight after, I felt a sharp pain on my chest. I attempted to pull the child off as it ripped out my feathers, one by one. With Rafael's help, it was off in no time, but not soon enough. I looked at the bald spot on my chest, which Eva couldn't resist laughing at.

"What is with that kid and the feathers?"

"We have no idea. We're still trying to get him tested." Getting over the pain in my chest, I settled down in their guest nest. It felt as if I had never left, still being warm and smooth as it was before.

"Thank you, Rafael."

"What for?"

"For everything. For taking me in, for caring for me when I was injured...and for accepting for me for who I am." Rafael didn't seem to know what to say. His face was blank, then turned to kindness.

"It's okay. It's in my nature." I felt a wave of tiredness wash over me, and succumbed to the sleep I needed.


	8. The Journey Begins

**As promised, the next chapter. I hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>The next afternoon, I agreed with Rafael to take me to the club, along with Nico and Pedro. At the club, it was the same as always. Birds were singing and dancing, lights were flashing around everywhere and some other birds were talking at the tables. I went over to where Rafael was sitting with Logan and Nico.<p>

"Hey, Will."

"Hey, Nico. How are you guys doing today?"

"Great. Have you prepared for tomorrow yet?"

"If Rafael's ready, then I'm ready." We heard Nico get called to the stage, so he left. Logan went over to his wife, leaving me and Rafael. "So, are you ready, Rafael?"

"I guess I am." Silence came over us before I spotted something I thought as out of the ordinary. At the other end of the club, someone was watching us from afar. I couldn't recognize who it was, since he was cloaked in the darkness from the shadows.

"Who is that?" I asked, trying not to look too conspicuous. Rafael made a quick glance, nervous as me, but then went calm when he saw who it was.

"Him? He's a falcon who travels around the world a lot. He also brings lots of souvenirs with him. Nico got a tape of multiple songs from Japan, as did Pedro."

"What's his name?"

"Zeel." I looked back over at the falcon, then looked away for the last time.

* * *

><p>The next day began early, with Blu interrupting our sleep.<p>

"Come on guys. It's time to go."

"We're coming, Blu. Just give us a minute" Rafael moaned drowsily. He dropped back into his nest, going to sleep right away. But Blu wouldn't give up there. He grabbed onto the side of Rafael's nest and began tipping it. By the time Rafael realized it, he was falling towards the floor. His beak hit the floor hard with a loud thud. He quickly got up with mine and Blu's help, almost pulling us down with him. "Thanks, you guys."

"It's alright. Are you guys ready to go?"

"We are. Just waiting for Eva. By the way, where is she?"

"Eva? She's already at the meeting place. She's actually the one who told me to get you guys."

"That's not good. We should hurry, before she comes in person." Rafael rushed out, as did I. Blu flew far behind us, trying to catch up. By the time we reached his little bird house, he was right behind us. He went inside while the others who were here waited on the platform outside. Only Lilian and Logan, along with his family, were missing. Blu soon came out, wearing his fanny pack.

"Alright everyone! Let's begin with a roll call. Jewel?"

"Here" she answered.

"Tiago, Bia and Carla?"

"Here, dad" they replied simultaneously.

"Rafael and family?"

"All accounted for."

"Alright. Nico and Pedro?"

"Yo, Blu" Pedro called out.

"William?"

"Right here."

"Good. Bou and Lou?"

"Here, Blu" Lou called from the back. I heard Bou grumble something, but couldn't make it out.

"Good. Lilian and Logan?" We waited for a response, but no one answered. "Lilian? Logan?" We started to doubt they would come, but then we heard someone flying from behind us. Lilian pushed past us to the front, apologizing as she did.

"Here." Blu looked past her, seeing if Logan was also there.

"Where's Logan?"

"He wanted to stay. I had to do a lot of convincing so I could come myself."

"Okay then. So that's..." Blu began counting silently, using his feathers to help. "That's...32. Wow, that's quite a lot."

"We'll be fine, Blu."

"Alright then. Is everyone ready?"

"YES!" everyone shouted back.

"Okay. Then off we go!" Everyone started flying off, following Blu and his family. I was the last to leave, with Rafael carrying me.

* * *

><p>After half a day of flying across Brazil, we decided to make a stop at a city called Belo Horizonte. Once we arrived on top of a hotel, Rafael, Nico, Pedro and Blu went off to find some food. They later returned holding a plastic bag between them, filled with some fruits and nuts.<p>

"Here you go, everyone. Eat up." We all dug in and started eating away. Once done, we all went to sleep, waiting for the next day of our journey. But far off from our building, there was watcher, keeping their eye on us from the darkness of the night.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry if it was a little short. I was in a bit of rush. The next one won't be out for a few of days, since something has come up. I hope you all enjoyed :)<strong>


	9. Brasilia

**Sorry for the wait. I've been working on another story, which I think is going well so far. I hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>As soon as dawn arrived, we headed off to our next destination.<p>

"We're are we headed this time?" I called to Blu from the middle of the group.

"We're heading to a city called Brasilia. Nico and Pedro have a friend there."

"And who is this friend of theirs?"

"You'll find out when we get there, Willy. And you'll like him. Trust me." For the rest of the flight, there was silence. I watched the forests and plains go by, taking in every bit of it, with no clouds to cast shadows across the land below. However, that soon came to an end when a storm crossed our paths. Having no way to avoid it, we settled down in the forest below. There were five separate hollows, so there was enough room for us all. I shared one hollow with Nico and Pedro, but one was quite loud in his sleep. Not being able to rest with Pedro's snoring filling my ears, I decided to go out onto the branch outside. The rain continued, but was less heavy then when it started. I felt my eye lids drooping, feeling myself start to tip.

"Can't sleep?" I jumped in surprise, almost falling from the branch. Turning around, I saw that it was Lou who had surprised me.

"No. Not with all the snoring."

"You can hear my brother?"

"What? Oh, no. It's Pedro who's snoring. I guess neither of us will be sleeping tonight."

"You can say that again." I chuckled at the situation, finding it quite funny that we both had the same problem.

"So, what's with your brother?" As soon as she heard the question, I noticed how uncomfortable I had made her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask. How about we talk about something else."

"Okay. What was your life like before?" I felt the same way she did, but managed to hide the feeling from view.

"It was...okay."

"Okay? Didn't you like it?"

"Of course I did. It's just...I haven't thought about it for some time now."

"Does it make you uncomfortable when talking about it?"

"No. No it doesn't. It's fine, really. Any other questions?"

"Yes. Did you ever feel lonely?" I thought I answer through, and told her the truth, but in a way so that is wasn't the whole truth.

"Never. I had someone by my side, always. She was the most beautiful girl I ever laid eyes on. But, after I was lost back at Rio, well...I haven't heard from her since."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. It's your fault." I could feel some tears stream down my face, but she could not see them, since they were on the opposite side.

"You miss, her don't you?"

"Yes. I miss her very much. I just wish there was some way to go back" I cried, tears going down both sides. She slowly approached me and pulled me into a comforting hug.

* * *

><p>The rest of the night was long, and I hadn't gotten any sleep. Lou, however, returned to her hollow with the base instinct of sleep taking over. Once the storm was over the next morning, we left immediately. I fell asleep in Rafael's grasp. In my sleep, it felt so long. I woke a few hours later from being shaken by Rafael.<p>

"Huh? What is it, Rafael?"

"We're here." At those words, I opened my eyes fully to see the city straight ahead.

"Wow. So where in the city is this friend?"

"Towards the center of the city" Nico answered. We followed Nico and Pedro through the city to the roof of a building. On the roof, a small box was stuck down, two pieces of cloth as the entrance.

"Yo, man. It's us, Pedro and Nico" Pedro called into the box.

"Pedro? It's been too long!" A small black bird dived out and greeted Pedro with a wing slap. The black bird looked over to us and came over to Nico, doing the same with him. "Where have you guys been?"

"Back at Rio. We're going with our friend Blu to the Amazon."

"The Amazon? Always wanted to go there. Wait, did you say Blu?"

"Yeah. Right there." The bird went over to Blu and greeted him as well.

"Blu! How's the family been?"

"We've been great, Andres. It's good to see you again."

"Same with all you guys. I see you brought the whole gang...except for Logan."

"He was busy back at home." Andres gave an understanding nod before laying eyes on me.

"And who might this be?"

"Right. Andres, this is William. William, this is Andres. In case you're wondering, he's a-"

"Black-Billed Magpie. I've seen a few before, but never this close up." Everyone was silent for a moment, then Andres seemed to realize something.

"Oh wow. I almost forgot to invite you all in. You must hungry and thirsty after your flight."

"Thank you, Andres. Your hospitality is welcome." We all entered the box, which was bigger than what it seemed.

"Sit down anywhere you like. There's plenty of room." I sat down next to Rafael and Andres brought over some fruits. "Eat plenty of food. You'll need it." After finishing, I suddenly felt tired. I went off to sleep for the rest of the day, as did everyone else.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you all enjoyed. And welcome back to the story, Andres! Next chapter may be tomorrow or the next day, since I'm going to try to make them longer, and with my other story as well. See you all next time :)<strong>


	10. Last Leg Of The Journey

**Sorry this chapter was later that usual. I've been having some trouble at home, and I'm also focused on rewriting my other story. I hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>Once the sun was up, we began readying ourselves for the next part of the journey. Blu and Andres came back from their discussion, and Andres also had a pack.<p>

"Guess what everyone?" Everyone turned to their attention to Andres who seemed very happy about something. "I'm coming along with you guys!" Andres announced.

"That's great to hear!"

"Good. The more the better." Everyone was glad to hear this. Everyone but Bou.

"That's just great. One more to join our little circus" he muttered, but I was close enough to hear him. I elbowed his side, and when he turned to face me, he saw my frown. Instead of saying anything, he just turned away from everyone else.

"When do we leave, Blu?"

"We leave now. Come on, everyone!" We all took off after Blu, continuing our journey.

* * *

><p>During our flight, I had one question on my mind.<p>

"Hey, Raf. How did you meet Andres?"

"Now that is quite a story. Hey Nico!"

"Yeah?"

"Come over here!" Nico flew back next to Rafael. "Will wants to know how we met Andres."

"Oh yeah. I remember that day. It all started a couple of years back..."

* * *

><p><strong>Two Years Ago...<strong>

Nico and Pedro were flying through the forest on a dark night, talking about their day at the club.

"Man, that was awesome!" Pedro yelled out.

"Yes, it was. That guy should have seen it coming, challenging us to a sing-off like that."

"Yeah. We were like-"

"Shh! Do you hear something?" Pedro paused and listened carefully. Nearby, someone was calling out for help. They headed for the source to find a small black bird crawling on the ground. It looked like he had been injured. "Are you alright?"

"Does it look like I'm alright? I can't feel my leg, and I smashed my wing into a tree!" he snapped.

"Ooh. That must have hurt."

"Gee, you think? Look, if you aren't going to help me, then just leave."

"We'll help you. Do you have a home nearby?"

"No."

"Okay, then we know exactly who can help. He's a good friend of ours."

"Can I trust him?"

"Of course you can, umm-"

"Andres. The name's Andres."

"Good to know. I'm Nico, and this is Pedro."

"Hey, A."

"A?"

"It's kind of one of his things. Now, let's get you out of here."

* * *

><p><strong>Present Day...<strong>

"We brought him to Rafael after, and soon, he was fully recovered."

"That's it?"

"What do you expect? Our most interesting meeting with anyone would probably have to be with Blu and Jewel."

"Right. Well, I'm going to sleep. Wake me when we get there."

* * *

><p>In my dream, I found myself in a cage. I was still my bird self, but I couldn't see much of my surroundings, for I was unable to move. The light was dimmed, so the room remained dark. I heard footsteps come from the darkness, then a shadow appeared in front of me.<p>

"Hello, William." _How does he know my name?_ "How have you been lately?"

"Good" I answered, even though I didn't want to say anything. Once again, something else controlled my body.

"That's great. I believe that you're progress is going well?"

"Perfect, sir."

"Good. Remember to take your medication."

"I will, sir." The dream began to darken, and before I knew it, I was woken up.

* * *

><p>"Hey Will. Wake up."<p>

"Are we there yet?"

"Yes." I looked ahead to see another city, much smaller that all the others.

"This is the last stop, guys. Tomorrow, we go to the Amazon!" Everyone cheered, including me. "Now get some rest. Tomorrow will be our longest flight." Everyone went to sleep. Everyone but me, since I had rested not too long ago. One thing stayed on my mind. _What was that dream about? Who was that man? Why was I talking to him? _So many questions, yet no answers.

* * *

><p>Tomorrow arrived earlier than expected, meaning everyone hadn't had a full rest. But I had been well rested, and I didn't need to fly, so it didn't matter.<p>

"Everyone ready?" Blu asked over the group.

"Yeah!" We all responded.

"Then let's go!"

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry if it was a bit short. I'm starting to run low on ideas, and have been out of home lately, going shopping with the family, which I don't enjoy. See you all in the next chapter :)<strong>


	11. The Amazon

**Sorry for the long wait. Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>To me, the Amazon was humid and dangerous. It didn't feel homey at all. But to Blu and his family, it was home, so I tried to enjoy it as much as possible.<p>

"So this is your home?" I asked Blu.

"Yeah. It may be damp and one of the most dangerous places for birds like us, but it's our home." Ahead, I caught a glimpse of movement through the trees.

"Blu? What is that?"

"What is what?" I pointed ahead at the blur heading towards us. Blu followed my gaze, then a smile appeared on his face. "That is our welcome party." As the blur came closer, I saw it was a blue bird, like Blu and Jewel except with a set of long feathers on his head that looked like hair. I also noticed two others flying behind him.

"Ju-Ju! Welcome back home."

"Hello, Beto." Jewel gave a hug to the new bird, and I could swear I saw Blu flinch when they did.

"Who's he?" I asked.

"One of Jewel's childhood friends, Roberto."

"Oh. What's with the crazy feathers?"

"You'll have to ask him that, though he probably won't answer that." The bird Roberto broke the hug with Jewel and approached Blu, shaking his wing.

"It's good to see you again, Blu."

"The same to you, Roberto. Also, there's someone I want you to meet. Roberto, this is William."

"Nice to meet you, Roberto" I greeted, extending my wing.

"Same to you, William." He took my wing, shaking it. "We should get going. Your father will be glad to see you" he told Jewel.

"I know he will." We all followed the patrol till we reached a grove. Once there, many other blue macaws appeared before us. Roberto took us to a large tree, where an old macaw waited. Jewel ran over to the old macaw, jumping into his wings. "Hey, dad!"

"Hello, Jewel. How was the trip?"

"It was great. You should have come."

"You know what I'm like around those places. I don't trust every human." His gaze fell upon me, a confused look on his face. "Who is this?"

"This is William." Blu nudged me forward.

"Hello, sir." He looked me up and down with an unsure look.

"Where did you find him? He looks like a pet."

"Companion" Blu muttered.

"In the city. He doesn't exactly have a home, and has been through some tough things."

"What do you mean?"

"We ran into some trouble in Rio, but it's all fine now."

"I hope so. My name's Eduardo. I'm the leader here."

"I thought so. You look the type."

"Thank you." Eduardo saw his grandchildren and went off to them as they told him about their trip.

"He seems nice" I said to Blu.

"Yeah, he can be sometimes. Just don't get on his bad side."

"Right." Eduardo returned with a plump female macaw.

"Hello. I'm Mimi" she said, shaking my wing hard. I drew back my wing, trying not to offend.

"I'm William. It's nice to meet you."

"Oh, such nice manners. If only everyone was like that."

"Okay, Mimi. Off you go." Mimi flew away as Eduardo approached us. "We have many hollows to share among all of you. Blu, take your family to your hollow. Roberto will show Rafael and his family to their hollow while Mimi will take the other girls to theirs. The rest of you will follow me."

"Okay, but one thing you must know."

"And what is that?"

"I can't fly." Eduardo let out a sigh before mumbling some words.

"Fine, I'll carry you."

"Thank you." Eduardo wrapped his talons around me and lifted me up, with Nico, Pedro, Andres and Bou following close behind.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry if this chapter was too short. With school coming up, I've begun to lose some focus. I'll try to get the next one out as soon as I can. See you all next time :)<strong>


	12. Beautiful Creatures

**Here's the next chapter. Enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>After we had all been shown the trees we were staying in, Eduardo called us and the whole tribe to the center of the grove. However, Bou had decided to stay back, as did Lou, probably to see why he stayed back.<p>

"Good afternoon, everyone! I believe that you all know that my Jewel and her family has returned from their trip and brought some friends along with them! So now we shall give them a proper greeting! Everyone ready?!"

"Yes!"

"Then let's begin!" He lifted his wings in the air, giving the signal. The entire tribe took their positions as we sat high up in a view point. They all had face paints from different flower. Once they were ready, some of them began a beat. I felt my foot start tapping int time once it began.

"Let's come together, singing love and harmonia." they began. "We are so different, but we're the same inside our hearts. Beautiful colors, just as far as the eye can see, ah. Open your wings, fly when you hear the call." They began flying in patterns with the beat. As it carried on, I felt my tail start swinging to the song as the chorus came up.

"Let's celebrate, calling all beautiful creatures! Come spread your wings, dance and sing songs about freedom like la-la-la, ooh-ooh! One for the jungle familia, like ba-ba-ba, boom boom, calling all beautiful creatures!" I couldn't resist as I suddenly stood up and started dancing.

"What are you doing?" Rafael asked.

"I have no idea, but it's awesome!" I replied.

"Come this way, celebrate, laugh and dance all the way!" they continued. "Follow me, sing along, la-la-la, ooh-ooh!" The next part I didn't understand, though continued to dance.

"This..is..awesome!" I yelled aloud.

"Let's celebrate, calling all beautiful creatures! Come spread your wings, dance and sing songs about freedom like la-la-la, ooh-ooh! One for the jungle familia, like ba-ba-ba, boom boom, calling all beautiful creatures!" the sung, finishing their song. I stopped dancing as soon as they stopped. Blu and his family flew down to us, looking tired after their performance.

"That was very exhausting. I really need to get some exercise."

"Yes you do, but leave that for another time, Blu. So how did you like our performance?"

"Honestly, it was...great! I couldn't stop myself from dancing along."

"Really? I guess that the song is in your blood as well" Roberto said.

"Excuse me?" I replied with a questioning look.

"It's just a saying. It means that you know the song somewhere deep inside" he explained.

"That's good to know." Eduardo soon joined us.

"Did you enjoy the celebration?"

"Yes. It was great."

"Nice to know that you enjoyed it. Tomorrow, we will have another thing to show you. But right now, it is almost night. I suggest you go to your hollows and rest."

"That is a good idea. We'll go now." Nico and Pedro picked me up and carried me to our hollow. Once we arrived, though, it looked like trouble. We could hear frantic yelling inside.

"That don't sound good at all." We approached the entrance, only to almost be knocked over by an angered Lou.

"I hate you!" she yelled inside before flying off.

"Like I said, not good at all."

"Nico, go find Rafael and go after Lou. Me and Pedro will see what's up with Bou."

"Got it." Nico flew off, then we entered to find Bou looking at the wall.

"Bou?" He ignored us, still facing away. "Bou, what was all that about?" I asked, my tone becoming more angered.

"She did."

"How about you start from the beginning?"

"How about you stay out of it?" he yelled at us. I flinched at the sound of his voice. I had never heard him so angry.

"Fine then!" I yelled back. "Come on, Pedro. Bou would rather not be disturbed." I headed for the nest that was given to me and made myself comfotable before falling asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Rafael's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>When Nico arrived, I at first thought he just wanted to talk. But when he explained why he was here, I followed him immediately.<p>

"Where did she go?"

"She flew straight from our hollow towards Blu's tree, I think."

"Let's get going." We soon arrived at their hollow, but I held Nico back for a minute. "Wait. Do you have any idea about the argument?"

"No clue. That's why I came to you."

"Okay. Just had to be sure." I knocked my beak on the outside, and Blu soon came out.

"She's inside. And try not to be too overwhelming. She's quite upset." Blu led us inside to Lou, who was being comforted by Jewel. I knelt down beside her, looking her in the eyes.

"Lou? What's wrong?"

"I-i-it's Bou" she mumbled as she continued to cry. "He..he..he said that..that-"

"What did he say?"

"He said that he hates me! He hates me and every one of my friends!"

"What started the argument?"

"I asked him why he is never nice to our friends, and he just suddenly snaps at me and started yelling at me."

"Then I guess he needs a talking to. Come on, Nico. We're going to pay Bou a visit."

**That's another chapter done, and sorry it was so late and a bit short. Please review and see you all next time :)**


	13. Guardian Angel

**Another chapter here. Enjoy :)**

* * *

><p><strong>William's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>I woke up to someone shaking me.<p>

"Hey, Will. It's Nico."

"What is it?" I asked, barely awake.

"Rafael's here, and he's givin a talkin to Bou. I think we should go, because it's about to get loud."

"And where will we go?"

"I dunno. I thought you would know."

"I guess we could find some Brazil nuts. What about Pedro?"

"He'll come too."

"Okay. How about Andres?"

"He's a heavy sleeper. Now let's get outta ere before it gets to the point where we're deaf for the rest of the stay here." They both grabbed either wing and lifted me up before carrying away from the hollow just as Rafael's scolding got loud.

* * *

><p>We soon made it to the Brazil nuts. Nico and Pedro went to find some about their size, dropping me off on one of the branches to find my own. It took some searching, but I soon I found one that looked almost perfect, and it was just laying there, not attached to any branch.<p>

"Huh. Lucky find, I guess." I reached down for it, but then it began to move. "What the-" It suddenly cracked open, then a small net flew out and covered me. "Hey! What's going on here?" From behind the tree and the cover of leaves, three crows came from the shadows and approached me, wearing packs like mine, except a bit bigger and completely black, almost blending in.

"We have finally caught him. Contact the boss" the leader ordered.

"Yes sir." He went behind the other one, turned away.

"Sedate him."

"Yes sir" the other crow replied. He pulled out a small needle, and stabbed it into me. My vision blurred, and I began to feel drowsy. The crow behind the others pulled out some kind of device. But before he could use it, another figure dropped down onto him. The other two turned around in surprise, ready to strike. I couldn't understand fully what they said, but made out a few words.

"You" the leader said. The other figure said something, but he was too far to hear properly. Then, the other crow lunged, only to be kicked in the face. The leader took the other figure from behind, holding him in place for the other crow. The figure flipped up, making the crow hit his leader. The figure then slammed the crows into each other, knocking them out.

"Easiest fight." The figure turned and looked down at me. That was the last I saw before passing out.

* * *

><p>I woke up later in some hollow. A small light in the center, lighting the hollow up. <em>Where am I? <em>I looked at the entrance in surprise as a dark hooded bird flew in. I backed away from the bird, who only came closer until I found myself against the wall.

"There is no need to be afraid."

"What do you want?"

"All your questions will be answered in time, William."

"How do you know my name when I have never met you."

"We have not met, but you have seen me." He lifted his hood back, revealing his face.

"Zeel?"

"Yes. I have been watching you for some time now."

"Really? That sounds kind of creepy."

"It was not meant to be, but I had to hide myself from you, for your own safety."

"Why don't you do some explaining?"

"All in good time."

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><p><strong>Another<strong>** chapter done. I wish I had more time to do it, but I wanted to get it done before school begins for another year. See you all in the next chapter :)**


	14. Zeel

**Here's the next chapter. And Happy Australia Day :)**

**Rafael's POV**

After Nico and Pedro returned, they began explaining that they had gone to where they left William, and he was no where to be found.

"Calm down, you two. Now, start over."

"Well, we dropped William off, then went to find our own food" Nico began.

"Yeah, and we found a few, which looked great."

"Anyway, we go back to where we left William, and when we get there, he's gone!"

"But there's more. Tell him about the others."

"Right, almost forgot about them. On the same tree where we left him, we found several crows, I think they were, all laying around, and a net close to them."

"Crows? What are they doing out here?" I wondered.

"No idea. But whoever knocked them out, they must have been really strong."

"And really fast. We didn't leave him there for long."

"Then we have to go find him. Pedro, go find Blu. Nico, you're with me." I flew out with Nico behind me.

"Great. Now we have to go looking for him again" Nico grumbled.

* * *

><p>We had spent the past few hours looking for William with the help of several patrols sent out by Eduardo. Me and Nico were searching around where he last was, though found no trace of him. I thought I saw something in the leaves nearby.<p>

"Nico, I think I see something over there. Can you go look?"

"Sure." As soon as Nico turned, I heard something above me. I looked up to see a brown blur drop down and grab me quickly, then lifted me up after putting a bag over my head.

* * *

><p>When it was removed, I found myself in a hollow, and across from me was William.<p>

"William! Where have you been?!"

"I've been here. Don't worry, he kept me safe."

"Who kept you safe?"

"I did." I turned around to see the mysterious falcon Zeel. "He was attacked by some crows."

"I guess you're the one who knocked them out."

"Yes. It had to be done, for he was in danger. However, they injected him with a tranquilizer, so I brought him here to keep him safe" Zeel explained.

"And that's just what he did. He also told me some things."

"Like what?"

"That he's been watching over me for some time. Turns out that he was the one who found me back in Rio and brought me to your home, as well as being the one who got me to the beach after falling from the plane."

"You saved him? Why?" I asked suspiciously.

"I have my reasons. Now that you know that I am watching him, you both must keep this a secret. Do you understand?"

"We're good at keeping secrets, so it should be easy. Don't worry about us spilling any secrets. Come on, William. Let's get you back."

"Right. I'll see you another time, Zeel."

"Yes, in time."

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><p><strong>Yes, it was a little short, but I'm getting more and more busy. See you in the next chapter :)<strong>


	15. Author's Note

**Lately, I've been getting some messages and reviews that I might be losing interest in this story, and I agree. I've hit what is called an Writers block, and it's so frustrating. If anyone has any ideas, please throw them at me. I really do want to continue the story, but I'm running low on inspiration and ideas. So please, give me some. If you want a bit more on some of the future plot so your ideas connect more to the story, just PM me. Thank you :)**


	16. Returned

**Here's the next chapter. Enjoy :)**

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><p><strong>William's POV<strong>

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><p>Rafael flew us through the grove and back to the tribe, who all rushed around me, throwing questions around about my safety.<p>

"Are you alright?"

"What happened?"

"Where were you?" Eduardo stood between them, raising his wings to calm everyone.

"Everyone, stop! Give him some room. Go to your daily duties. Roberto, find the patrols and tell them the news."

"Yes, Eduardo." Roberto took off with several other macaws.

"Let's get you back to your hollow. The others are very worried about you" Rafael stated.

"After he gets a quick check up. Our best healer will see to him, just in case he has any injuries." Rafael was about to protest, but I went with Eduardo.

"I'll be fine, Rafael. Go tell the others that I will be coming soon."

"Got it, Will." Rafael went ahead to tell the others as Eduardo took me to the healer. We reached the healer's tree in moments. She sat there, already expecting us.

"I see that the newcomer has been found. Let's see what we can do for him." She lifted up my wings, looking over them. "No sign of any fractures or infection." She opened my beak, looking inside. "He seems to be fine. I can't see any injuries on him. He'll live."

"Thank you. I'll take him back now."

"Be safe. I don't want two visits from you on the same day." Eduardo picked me up and carried me out.

"So while we're flying out here, why don't you tell me about yourself."

"Well, as what you call them, I'm a pet, although me and Blu prefer the term companion."

"What was your life as a 'companion' like?"

"It had it's moments, both good and bad."

"How did you come to meet Jewel and Blu."

"I was found, alone in the jungle around Rio. Rafael found me and nursed me back to health. Later, Blu and Jewel came by and I got to know them, and then I became friends with them. Not really much of a story. What about you? How did Blu come to meet you?"

"He came here, seeking us out. At first, I thought he was a bit good of a mate for Jewel. But when I heard he was a pet, my opinion on him went to the complete opposite of what is was before. Then, he lost the entire Brazil Nut grove to the Scarlet macaws, and that's when I went crazy at him. I hated his guts."

"But you don't seem to anymore. What changed?"

"He saved the entire grove from an army of loggers. He saved all the tribes and drove them away. Why wouldn't I not hate after that?"

"That sounds very heroic of him...and good of you. I always say that there is always a time to forgive. You did the right thing by forgiving him."

"I know that I did." Eduardo stopped by the entrance of the tree, dropping me off. "You know, I've come to like you, William."

"I've come to like you as well. I'll see you around, chief."

"Chief? That's a new nickname. I kind of like it. See you later, Will." Eduardo left me on the branch, and as soon as he was gone, Rafael came out.

"So how did it go?"

"Fine. No injuries or any infection what so ever. How did everyone take it?"

"They're glad to know you're safe, and can't wait to see you again."

"Then let's not keep them waiting." I went in and was immediately surrounded by worried friends.

"Where you been, Will?" Nico asked.

"Rafael found me in a tree" I lied. "Don't know how I got there, but I'm fine now."

"It's good to see that you're okay" Lou said, hugging me.

"It's good to see you aren't upset."

"You heard?"

"We got back when you went out, yelling back at Bou. Are you okay with it now?"

"Yeah. Rafael helped me through it all."

"Okay, everyone. I think that Will needs a rest now after being lost. So scoot!" Rafael shooed everyone but the guys staying in this tree away. "I'll leave you to sleep now. Come on, guys!" The guys left me alone, so I sat in my nest and slowly went to sleep.

* * *

><p>However, when I woke up, I wasn't in the tree anymore. I was instead in the cage like the last dream I had. It didn't take long to realize that it was just like last time as well, as I could not control any movement of my body.<p>

_Great. Now I'm back here _I thought.

"Hey there, mate." I looked to my side to see the silhouette of another macaw, though I couldn't see who.

"Hey."

"How are you today?"

"Not much better. I still feel weird after that injection they gave me."

"It'll go away soon. All you have to do is-" the macaw was interrupted by a loud rumble, followed by the room shaking around them.

"What was that?"

"Beats me." The rumbling started to get louder before it sounded like it was just outside the door. Then, the door blew open. The force of the explosion was enough to knock me out.

* * *

><p>I woke up from the dream, gasping for breath.<p>

"Well that was different. I wonder who that was? And why did that door blow up? Aaah! Instead of answering my questions, these dreams just give me more questions! Are they even dreams, or are they memories! I don't know anymore!" I slammed my wing down against the floor, letting out my frustration. As I did, I heard a voice in the back of my mind.

_"All of your questions shall be answered in time." _Zeel had said that just before he left to get Rafael.

"What did he mean by that? Does he know about these dreams? Maybe I can ask him tomorrow, that's if I can find him." I went back to sleep for the night.

* * *

><p><strong>And here is the end of yet another chapter, and I'm making them longer again, thanks to ideas I'm getting. I'd also like to thank all those who gave me ideas. Farewell for today :)<strong>


	17. Questions Answered

**Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the wait. Hope you enjoy, and please review :)**

* * *

><p>As soon as morning arrived, I climbed down the tree using the branches on the way down. I reached the bottom in a few minutes and headed towards the place I last remember seeing Zeel. When I was sure I was far away enough, I began calling out to him.<p>

"Hey, Zeel! Are you out here?" I called out, expecting an answer. However, I heard nothing but a quiet rustle from above. I looked up, only to have my head covered by a bag. The whole time, I felt myself being carried. Some time later, I felt my feet touch down on a wooden surface before the bag was taken off my head. "was that really necessary, Zeel?"

"When you have many enemies looking for you, you have to take such precautions. Truly, I am sorry I had to do that, but it was necessary."

"Okay, but how about next time, you give me a bit of warning before you dump a bag over my head."

"I'll do that, if that is what you wish. What will the signal be?" Zeel asked.

"Whatever you think will work."

"Okay. I will make a hooting owl sound. Will that work?"

"Sure. Just as long as I get some warning."

"Understood. What did you summon me for?"

"I have some questions for you. First one is about those crows. Who were they?"

"I thought you might ask. They belonged to a certain corporation which specializes in illegal experimentation. You are one of those experiments, but you managed to escape. I have been put in charge of your protection."

"so, I'm an experiment?" I asked.

"Yes." Zeel answered.

"And this..corporation? They're hunting me?"

"Yes."

"What about you? What do you work for?"

"I work for an agency. We fight against this corporation, trying to stop their evil deeds and experiments."

"I see. Last question. Lately, I have been having dreams. But I'm beginning to think they are memories. Could it be possible that is what's happening to me?"

"Yes. However, I would not know, for I was not part of the assault."

"Assault?"

"That was how you escaped. Our agency launched a strike against a hidden lab, and many escaped. During the escape, one of ours got a picture of you, so after we found you in Rio, I was tasked to watch over you. If you remember correctly, you once went to your hotel room and found some suited men. These men were part of the corporation. However, while you escaped, you found another two men. One of them was my handler, and was tasked to find you. But when he lost you, he was re-tasked, and the mission was handed to me. Anything else you need?"

"No, that's it." I headed towards the exit, but looking down, I saw no branches I could use to climb down. "Actually, I could use your help to get back. Could you maybe take me back to the tribe?"

"Of course. It's time I showed myself to them anyway, for it may aid my mission."

"I guess so." Zeel carried me straight out and headed for the tribe. We arrived a little while later. Zeel was immediately greeted by a small patrol of blue macaws.

"William, who is this?" the leader asked.

"This is...a friend. His name is-"

"Zeel. Greetings to you all!" he greeted cheerfully. It was as if he had another personality. "I travel around the globe, collecting exotic items from all around the world."

"You do?" I whispered to him.

"This is my undercover disguise" he whispered back to me.

"Wait, what do you do?" one of the patrol macaws asked.

"I bring souvenirs from all around the world so others can see some of the culture in other parts of the globe."

"Really?"

"Yes. Just wondering, do you think I could meet with your leader. I have some questions for him."

"Right. We'll take you to him. Follow me. José, go ahead and tell Eduardo that someone is coming to meet him."

"Yes." The macaw went ahead while the others made a formation around us.

"Stay with us, please." The leader stayed at the front, with us following. We soon arrived in the center of the grove, where Eduardo was waiting with Blu next to him.

"Hello, good man, or should I say bird" Zeel joked.

"You wanted to see me" Eduardo replied, clearly not amused by his joke.

"Right. Yes, I requested to see you. I just wish to discuss a few things."

"Of course. William, go with Blu. He has something to show you."

"Yes sir." Blu grabbed you and carried me away from Eduardo's tree. "So, what is it you wanted to show me?"

"Well, actually, it's something I wanted to ask you."

"Sure. Ask away."

"Well, it's about tomorrow. You see, it's mine and Jewel's anniversary tomorrow, and I want your help to prepare."

"Okay. What do you want me to do."

"Rafael will explain everything. I'll take you to him."

"All right. Anything to help you out."

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><p><strong>Sorry if it became shorted than the last one. I just wanted to make a quick update, since today was very busy :)<strong>


	18. Author's Note 2

**This is just a quick Author's Note. I have not let this story go, and plan to continue, but it is on pause for now, for this is my last year of school and I plan to focus as much as I can. Sorry, but I do plan to continue by the weekends, though it will take time for each chapter. See you all in the next chapter and thank you for understanding and thanks for contributing with your ideas :)**


	19. Preparations

**So sorry for the delay, but like I said in the update before, there was going to be a delay. Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>I met up with Rafael and Pedro later that day, but couldn't find Nico anywhere. They were giving orders, organizing the surprise anniversary with a large group of birds, decorating the clearing it was to be in.<p>

"Get those flowers up there! Hey, keep those decorations of the ground! Where is that drink I asked for?!" Pedro demanded. He stopped when he saw me enter and came flying over. "Hey, Willy! Blu send you?"

"Yeah. He said you needed some help." Rafael came over next to me, ready to answer.

"Yes. You see, we've run into a bit of a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"I know yo haven't seen my buddy anywhere today, and the reason for that is cause he got his hands on a certain berry" Pedro explained to me.

"Wait, don't tell me. He's lost his voice."

"Yeah. How'd you know?" Pedro asked.

"Lucky guess. So why do you want me?"

"Well, remember back in Rio when you did that song with Blu. We were wondering if you would want to sing. And don't worry, Pedro will be up there with you."

"Well, I guess I could give it a shot. Anything else?"

"Now that you ask, there is a few other things you could do."

"Just name it, and I'll do it."

"We need some help with putting up the decorations. Now, since you can't fly, we can give you some low hanging decorations."

"Got it." Rafael handed a bunch of little bits of glass on string. "What is this for?"

"When the light shines through those leaves up there, the clearing will be filled with color. It will be like magic. And that's love is like. Magic" he explained, emphasizing the word magic.

"I wish I could feel that" I murmured to myself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. I'm just going to go and put these up. I'll be done with it soon." I went over to one of the sides and begun stringing them up. I watched my wings to be sure I was not cut by the small shards. I was soon done and started to head back over to Rafael and Pedro, but I ended up on the ground after bumping into something.

"Oh no! I am so, so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going with these decorations in my face and..oh no! I am so clumsy today! First, I bump into you, and now I've scattered these decorations everywhere!" As my vision focused, I saw that it was another blue macaw. A female blue macaw.

"It's fine. It was my fault. I wasn't looking straight. Here, let me help you." I knelt down and began helping her with the decorations. I help half of the decorations in my wings as she held the other.

"Thank you! I wish there was a way to...wait a minute. You're the newcomer! What was your name? Bill, or was it Quill?"

"It's Will. And what might you're name be?"

"Larissa. But you can call me Rissa, if you want to."

"I think Larissa is just fine. Do you want help putting these up?"

"Putting what up?" I looked down at the decorations, then back to her. "Oh, right! The decorations. Yes, I would like some help."

"Okay, where do you want to put them?"

"Um...over there! Don't want it to compete with any of the other colors, or decorations."

"You sound like quite the party planner."

"Yes, I am very good at planning celebrations. It's basically my job around here. I plan birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, basically any kind of celebration there is."

"You must be very busy."

"Yep. What about you?"

"Me? I don't do much. I don't really have a talent, except for...no, it doesn't matter."

"What? What is it?"

"Well, I'm guessing you know what I am." She shook her head, looking at him with curiosity. "I'm a pet."

"Oh. That's what you mean. You must have done something, like a hobby. Don't you have a hobbie?"

"Well...I do like to draw" I said.

"Draw? Are you good at it?" she asked.

"Yes, I am very good at it. You know what, I'll draw you something later."

"That would be great." Larissa put up the last one just as everyone else finished. She took a look around, taking in all that had been completed. "Now this is what I call a masterpiece. Let's go everyone! And make sure to hide it! We don't want Jewel finding this place!" Everyone began leaving in a hurry, and a few pulled some branches close together to hide what was behind. I was one of the last out, and found Rafael and Pedro waiting for me.

"You ready to go?"

"Yeah. Now, all we have to do is just wait for tomorrow. You think they will like it?"

"Of course they will. But who knows, every day is a mystery."

"That I can agree with."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry, it was a bit short, but I do have school going on, so they will be a bit short. I hope you enjoyed, and the next one may be out in a few days :)<strong>


	20. The Anniversary

**Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the long wait. Read on and enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>The next day, we all hid in the clearing. The sunlight from the midday sun was dimmed by the canopy that covered the small space, making it the perfect surprise. The plan was to stay hidden until Blu and Jewel arrived, then a small ball that resembled a disco ball would be lowered and would be hit by sunlight through a small gap, lighting up the clearing in a variety of colors from all the glass shards hanging around. It felt like hours. Some of the other birds began complaining of cramps and how long the wait was, though no one came out of their positions.<p>

"How much longer we gotta wait?" Pedro complained in a hushed, impatient voice.

"Until they get here, so quit you're complaining" I answered back. Pedro shrunk back, grumbling some words too low for me to hear. "Just for the sake of it, how long did Blu say he would be?"

"He shouldn't be too long" Rafael stated. "He isn't late yet, but he will be soon. I just hope he arrives soon." As if on queue, the bird on watch came flying through the leaves, almost out of breath, possibly from his excitement.

"They're coming!"

"Alright, everyone. Get down and hide and wait for the right moment" Eduardo ordered. "Let's make this the best anniversary my daughter has ever had." I ducked down further into the undergrowth with Pedro and Rafael next to me. I could see a few feathers shining in the dim light, but not clearly. Everyone was almost perfectly blended in, and at the right time as we heard voices outside. Blu came in first, followed by Jewel and their kids.

"Okay, Blu. We're here. Now what was it you wanted to show me?"

"This. Now, everyone!" he called out. Everyone jumped out as the ball came down, lighting up the small space.

"SURPRISE!" We all yelled. Jewel was at first shocked, then on the verge of tears of happiness.

"Oh, Blu! Thank you for doing this!" She hugged him tightly, as he struggled to breath. "And thank all of you, as well!" she said, breaking the hug.

"Anything for you, Jewel, for you are my one and only" Blu managed to say, still getting his back. However his breath was taken again when he was pulled into another strangling hug.

"I love you too, Blu." They continued their hug until someone in the background made a fake cough, grabbing their attention.

"Oh. Right" Blu said, a little red flooding his cheeks. "Pedro. Do you mind?"

"Not at all. Let's get goin, Willy."

"You know I hate that name" I grumbled, knowing he could hear me. I followed him to a rock we were going to use as the stage. The day before, Blu had asked us to sing a song for them. After much discussion, me and Pedro had decided on one song. The little band Pedro had assembled began the song with a bit of music by using large nuts and hollow logs as instruments, as well as other stuff. Pedro was the first to begin singing.

"There's a calm surrender to the rush of day" Pedro began. "When the heat of a rolling wind can be turned away."

"An enchanted moment, and it sees me through" I continued. "It's enough for this restless warrior just to be with you."

"May I have this dance?" Blu asked Jewel.

"I'd love to." Blu took Jewel's wing and proceeded to spin her around as we began with the chorus.

"And can you feel the love tonight?" Pedro sung. "It is where we are. It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer, that we got this far."

"And can you feel the love tonight?" I continued. "How it's laid to rest. It's enough to make kings and vagabonds. Believe the very best."

"There's a time for everyone if they only learn, that the twisting kaleidoscope moves us all in turn."

"There's a rhyme and reason to the wild outdoors, when the heart of this star-crossed voyager beats in time with yours."

"And can you feel the love tonight?" we both sung. "It is where we are. It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer that we got this far." I watched below us as Blu dipped Jewel down with all eyes on them.

"And can you feel the love tonight?" Jewel began.

"How it's laid to rest" Blu continued.

"It's enough to make kings and vagabonds believe the very best" Jewel went on, looking deep into Blu's eyes.

"It's enough to make kings and vagabonds believe the very best" they sung slowly, ending the song. There was a moment of silence before the big applause. Me and Pedro took a bow, then leaped from the tall, flat rock.

"That was great, Will! You have a pretty good skill" Rafael remarked.

"I wouldn't say that, but whatever you say, Rafael."

"I'd agree with him, William" Blu agreed. "You were excellent, wasn't he, Jewel?"

"Yes, he was."

* * *

><p>For the rest of the afternoon, Pedro and some others, including Roberto, performed on the rock. However, I sat towards the back, watching from a distance. I caught the glimpse of movement next to me and found Larissa sitting next to me.<p>

"Hey, Bill."

"It's Will" I muttered.

"Right. Sorry Will. So how are things?"

"Fine" I answered plainly.

"Well you aren't saying much. What's on you mind?"

"Not much. What about you?"

"I feel great! The setting around us is perfect, and everyone is enjoying themselves. Why aren't you out there on the dance floor?"

"I don't need to be. I'm fine back here."

"I'm not taking no for an answer." She took my wing and pulled me out to the where everyone was dancing. "Come on, then. Get your dance on!" She did not give me a chance to refuse, so I decided to go along with it until the end of the day.

* * *

><p><strong>And there you go. Once again, sorry it took so long. The song was requested, as was the idea of William singing. See you all in the next chapter :)<strong>


	21. Held Hostage

The first thing I noticed as I woke up was my aching head. I really must have stayed up for a while last night. Across from me Nico was still sleeping with his back leaning on Pedro, also sleeping, however Rafael, Bou and Andres were nowhere to be seen. I tiredly walked over to the samba birds and leaned over towards them, shaking them a bit, though I almost felt like I was going to fall forward onto them.

"Guys. Wake up" I grumbled, barely able to stand. They both responded with inaudible mumbling. I immediately gave up and headed back to my nest, only to find a note in it. That wasn't there before, I thought. I picked up the piece of paper and read it.

_William,_

_Meet me at my home._

_Z_

Once I saw the Z, I knew it was Zeel, and also knew where to go. However, I was extremely tired, so decided to rest a bit more. Once I had become well rested, I went out of the hollow and saw that it was now midday. Not wanting to waste anymore time, I carefully climbed down the tree using any branches in my reach. I soon reached the bottom with ease and was off, scurrying along the forest floor. I saw no one on the way, which was unusual, but it also made the trip shorter since there was no one to stop me in my tracks. As soon as I arrived, I found a small rope ladder, most likely put there by Zeel to make it easier for me to get up. I struggled at first, slipping a bit on the first rope, though slowly made progress up. However, once I had reached the top, I got a surprise welcome with Zeel pinning me against a wall. He immediately backed off when he saw it was me and stood still as if he was a soldier standing at attention.

"My apologies. I have been forced to be more cautious." He moved a set of curtains over the entrance and led me into a higher part of the tree.

"What was that about? Why are you suddenly being more cautious?" I asked.

"When did you wake up? Did anyone follow you?"

"I think I woke up at midday, and I didn't see anyone around. What does that have to do with anything?"

"They've found you." That single statement was enough for me to understand.

"How? Are they here?"

"Yes. That's why you haven't seen anyone. They are all being held hostage. I can try to free them, but you need to flee."

"No way. I'm not leaving anyone behind. And besides, they don't have everyone. Can you do something for me?" Zeel remained hesitant before answering.

"Fine. What is it you need?"

"A couple of things back in the hollow I'm staying in. I have a plan, and I know who can help."

"As you wish. Just as long as it works." Zeel went off after I told him what I needed. I sat down, waiting patiently as I watched the entrance cautiously. Zeel arrived sooner than I thought he would, with my pack in one talon and Nico and Pedro in the other. I held back a laugh at how they tried to reach up and hit him, yelling at him to let them go. And he soon let them go right in front of me.

"Willy? What ya doin here with this crazy hawk?" Pedro snapped, glaring at the falcon.

"He's been helping me, and I hope you guys will too."

"What with?" Nico cautiously questioned. I explained how all our friends were in danger, but did not tell them who held them. All they needed to hear was that they were in danger, and they were with me. "Of course we will. What are we doing? Fighting, or sneaking?"

"Neither." We all leaned in and I began explaining my plan. And just as I thought, Nico and Pedro weren't very fond of my idea.

I watched the entrance to the cave where everyone was held from the safety of a rock at the perfect distance. Next to me, Zeel laid in wait for the next phase. Right at the side of the opening, Pedro and Nico stood against the rock wall. I could see their shivering from here, but they kept their brave faces on. I waited for it to be clear, and as the guard outside went in, I gave the signal. They were motionless at first, but managed to move to the entrance in plain sight.

"Hey, everyone!" Nico yelled in his most casual tone. I could see all the Agency forces turn their heads in surprise, and none made a move to snatch Nico and Pedro. So far, the plan was going well. "Who wants to party?!" They began doing dance moves, providing me and Zeel the perfect cover. We made our way to the entrance with speed and stealth. Zeel peeked inside and saw a nearby low rock wall we could use to get around. He took the lead, and I followed. Looking back, I saw the distraction was still going well. I just hoped it would be long enough. We arrived at the end of the rock wall a few seconds later, only to find there was no more cover, except for the crowd of macaws before us.

"We'll have to go through them. Stay right behind me and keep low" Zeel ordered. I gave a nod and followed closely. Some of them recognized me, but kept quiet when I moved a feather to my beak. It didn't take to get close to the front. In front of the crowd stood a tall, slender crow, backed up by three other ones. He looked like the leader. In front of him stood a line of blue macaws, and in their midst was Blu.

"Who is that?" I asked myself.

"Crone" Zeel whispered, having heard what I said. He was once one of ours, but turned against us for power, seeing them as his way of getting what he wants." By the look in his eye, there was more to it, but I decided against bringing it up. "Looks like he's checking through them for you. It will be hard to get everyone out without a fight. I hope your plan works."

"It will. You just do your part, and I'll do mine." He went one, and I went the other. I stopped a few steps to my right behind Rafael, who stared over to the crazy dancers. His mate was nowhere to be found. "Hey, Ralfi." He turned in surprise and almost yelled out my name, if it wasn't for my quick reflexes. I snapped his beak shut and told him to be quiet.

"Sorry" he whispered apologetically. "What are you doing here? These guys sound like the ones after you."

"They are."

"Then you must go. There's no telling what they'll do to you."

"I'll be fine, as long as my plan goes well. And you're part of it."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Spread the word that on my signal, everyone flies to the exit. But I'll need someone by my side."

"Count me in. I'll be waiting, but please hurry it up. I hate standing around all day." I gave a nod and hurried along to spread the word to some others. Once I was done, I began the final phase. I got into a position beside where the leader stood, being able to overhear him.

"No. No. No" he said as the line moved forward, sounding more and more agitated with each one. "No. No. No! How hard is it to find just one bird?! They said it would be a simple job, but everyone looks almost the same! All I want is just one bird! How hard can that be?!" I saw this as my chance and stepped up in front of him.

"I heard you were looking for me" I said as I approached him. I was immediately held down by two of his guards.

"Finally! Who found him? Who's getting the promotion?"

"I brought myself in. It seems your lackeys are to stupid to find me, even though I kind of stand out." He showed a bit of surprise, which turned into a grin as leaned in on me, looking me in the eye.

"I don't see who you are calling stupid, since you're the one who revealed himself to us. Tell me, what would provoke you to do so?"

"I have my reasons. Why are you looking for me?"

"I have my reasons" he mimicked before stepping away. "Dismiss these cerulean turkeys. I have no more use for them, since I now have my prize" he purred, locking onto me with an evil stare. "Bring him forth, for all to see." They dragged me to the edge of the stone we were on and forced to kneel. "Look, everyone! I have found our little fugitive! He has so kindly brought himself forth! You most likely do not know who he truly is! Well then, allow me to shed some light on the subject!" He held out a small syringe filled with a yellow liquid. Before I had time to react, he stabbed it into my arm and injected it into me. For a moment, nothing happened. But I soon felt my body begin to stretch. My feathers began to molt, and my face changed. My wings and legs extended, and fingers and toes began to appear. After what felt like ages, I had changed back to my original self. Everyone looked to me in horror. I was once again human.

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><p><strong>What an ending to another chapter! I hope you enjoyed and I will see you all next time :)<strong>


	22. Facing Crone

Everyone looked in shock at my true appearance. Some of them felt a mix of anger and fear, while some were just confused and shocked. I looked down at my feet in shame. Two of Crone's minions chained my hands together, holding onto the other end with several others.

"William?" a voice from the crowd asked. I recognized it as Blu's. I thought he may have just imagined it, though something in my mind told me I didn't.

"Yes, this is who you once knew as William!" Crone announced. "Now do you see that you have all been lied to?! This imposter has only been using you to hide from us! He has put you all at risk just by being among you! But now that we have him, you shall all be safe." I heard some sighs of relief. "Of course, that would be if this wasn't supposed to be so secret" Crone continued with a smirk of evil. "So I'm sorry to say this, but there can be no witnesses." He turned away from the angered crowd with me being pulled behind him. "You know what must be done" he murmured to his second-in-command.

"I shall give the order." We were about to leave when I heard something behind us.

"Hey, Crone! Leaving so soon?!" Crone's face froze in surprise, as if it had been a long time since he had heard it.

"Zeel" he hissed. He turned around to see his old adversary at the other end of the cave. "Long time, no see old friend!" he yelled across to him.

"You are no friend of mine, Crone. Not anymore. Now, I'm only going to ask this once. Release these birds and the human!"

"Are you giving me an order? I'm sorry, but you are no longer in charge of me."

"Fine then. But you asked for it." Zeel pulled out a few small balls and threw them at us. As soon as they made contact with the ground, they exploded, engulfing us with smoke. Seeing my captors distracted, I took my chance and used the chain around my wrists to throw them into the cave wall. I heard a loud crack as they hit it hard.

"Zeel!" I called out into the smoke. "Over here!" He came flying through the smoke with a syringe filled with blue liquid.

"Take this. We're going to need your help, especially since this cave is a bit small for you."

"Right" I said, though I was hesitant. After thinking for some time, I injected it into me. I waited for it to take effect, and in half a minute, I was a bird again. "Now let's go kick some butts" I said with a grin.

"I'd be glad to." Zeel headed into the smoke with me at his side. We soon made it out of the smoke and into a chaotic scene. Macaws were flying around, going head on against Crone's crows and ravens. I saw Crone in the midst and got an idea.

"Rafael!" I yelled to the toucan who turned to me after banging two heads together.

"Yeah?"

"I need a boost!" I pointed towards Crone. Rafael put a feather up like a thumb and flew over to me. I jumped up, putting my wings up. He caught them and darted towards him. "NOW!" I yelled. He let go once I was close enough, talons first. It seemed as if luck was on my side, as Crone never saw me coming when I grabbed onto him and brought him down with me. He pushed away from me at the last second and rolled away to be across from me.

"So now he fights back? Where's your guardian, Zeel? Has he abandoned you now?"

"You're going down, Crone! This ends here!"

"So be it." I was the first to make a move, which was a huge mistake. He easily countered it, flipping me over his shoulder. "You think you can best me?" He leaped into the air and brought a talon down. I rolled away, the talon just missing my head. I stood up in time to block his kick and turn it against him, throwing him at a wall, though I did not expect his next move. He quickly flipped himself and rebounded, a punch striking my face and sending me sliding across the floor. "I see Zeel never bothered to train you. I expected as much. Give me a real challenge." I stayed down, waiting for the right moment. When he was close enough, I launched myself up in an uppercut movement. But he simply grabbed my wing and snapped it like a twig. I cried out in pain. He threw me to the side and began to make one final approach. "This it it, William. Any last words?" I was about to utter my final prayer when someone jumped in the way.

"Back off!" Larissa hissed.

"Who is this supposed to be? Oh well. At least you look like more of a challenge." She began the fight with a flurry of attacks, some of them hitting their mark. But most were easily countered. It soon led to her being kicked back, but she wasn't finished. She lunged forward again, using her wings to raise her into the air so she could use her talons to strike at his face. One of them met their target, causing a long scratch just beside his eye. "You will regret that" he growled. She went for another attack, though only ended up being flung hard into a rock close to me. "Don't want to take any chances" he said, approaching her with eyes of fury. I suddenly felt something course through my body. A new energy, giving me strength to do one last act. I charged straight for him, making contact with his side.

"Don't you dare touch her!" He slowly stood up, stunned from the attack. "Like I said. It's time to end this." The last he saw was my wing, heading for his face. He went down after one strike, hitting the ground hard. I heard someone land behind me and turned to see Zeel. He looked down at Crone's unconscious body in surprise.

"You took him out" he said. "I guess I never needed to give you any training."

"A bit of training would have been nice." I accidentally moved my wing, resulting in a suppressed groan of pain.

"That's not good. We need to get you and her to safety."

"What about the others?" I asked weakly.

"The battle is won. Whatever is left of Crone's forces are retreating. We have won the day." I smiled for the last time before passing out after Zeel gave me something to help with the pain.

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><p><strong>There you go. I wish I made the battle a bit longer, but I couldn't think of how. I hope you readers all enjoyed. See you all in the next chapter :)<strong>


	23. New Beginnings

**Here's the next chapter for all you readers, or should I say the final chapter I hope you enjoy :)**

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><p>When I finally woke up, I found myself with a throbbing pain in my head. I had almost no memory of the day before, and was in a state of confusion when found that I was in the medicine bird's tree, and was not alone. On one side, the medicine bird, who must have heard me stirring, stood over me, tending to what ever injuries I had. To my left, another bird lay, probably another injured bird. They seemed familiar, but my vision was too blurred to know. I tried to lean up, but the medicine bird slowly pushed me back as to not cause more injury.<p>

"You need to rest. You are not yet fully healed." I reluctantly rested my head back in the nest I laid in. "Just for another day, but you're wing was the most damaged. It will be a few weeks until it heals." She left me to attend some of her other patients. I looked back to my left, back at the other bird. That's when my memory caught up. It was Larissa. It looked as if she was still unconscious. Or was she?

"Larissa?" At first, there was no response from her. "Larissa? Are you awake?" I saw her begin to stir, and she slowly turned to face me. I gasped as I saw her. Her right eye was swollen, and one of her legs was bent a bit more back then it should be. Besides that, she only had a few bruises and scratches. "W..William?" she replied with a raspy voice. "Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me. What happened to you?" I asked. "I don't remember. Do you?" I shook my head slowly, since I felt a tinge of pain up my spine. "How long have we been out?" she asked. "I have no idea. It must have been a while." Luckily, someone was there to answer the question for us.

"You've been out for a couple of days. Your injuries were very bad, especially Larissa's." Blu came into my peripheral vision. I could spot a few bruises under his feathers and a couple of bald spots where feathers were torn away, but nothing more. "We were in a fight against the crow, Crone, as he called himself. You defeated him" he explained, pointing to me. "I did?" At that moment, the battle came back to me. I remembered how he snapped my wing, and Larissa flying in to help, only to also be injured, and then me beating him with one hit. "Now I remember. Is everyone alright?"

"Eduardo took quite a beating, as did I. But when they saw their leader fall, they must have thought that they lost and fled. We won the battle, because of you."

"Don't give me all the credit. I couldn't have done it without all of you guys." He gave a nod, agreeing with me. "I guess you're right. Of course, that's what friends are for. I'd better get going now. I was on my way of checking up on Eduardo." He held out a wing, which I accepted. "See you after I'm recovered, then."

"Oh, no. I'll be visiting you. See you tomorrow, Will." He gave one last wave of his wing before leaving. I looked back at Larissa with one question in mind. "Larissa?" I asked, getting her attention once more. "Yes?"

"Why did you save me?" She remained silent at first, and I could swear I saw a blush. "Do you really want to know?" I nodded. "Fine. The reason I saved you...is because I l..l..." she paused, trying to force it out. "I like you! There, happy?" I was stunned by her answer. But for some reason, I was okay with her answer. "Yes. Yes I am" I answered with a smile. She also smiled, her blush showing much more. I reached across with my uninjured wing, and she did the same until they touched. For the first time, in this new life, I felt love. But it wasn't like my past life. It felt...better. Now, this marked the start of a new life.

A new beginning.

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><p><strong>And there you have it. The reason it was short is because I am not very good at endings. I hope you enjoyed this story. Until next time, goodbye! :)<strong>


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